Aside from Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe where the cup is available from the start, the criteria to unlock the Special Cup varies by game, although the Star Cup always must be completed successfully. In Super Mario Kart, the player may unlock it by winning each of the other three cups in 100cc (though it will be unavailable for the 50cc class); in Mario Kart: Super Circuit, it is unlocked by winning the four previous cups, each by class; in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, it is unlocked after the player finishes first in the Star Cup in 100cc; from Mario Kart DS onwards, it is unlocked once the player claims a trophy in the Star Cup.
The Special Cup's emblem is a smiling golden crown, which was first used in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and standardized as the cup's emblem since. Originally the Special Cup's emblem was a stylized "S", which was first used in Mario Kart 64 where it appears as a red "S" in a teal diamond, and carried over into Mario Kart: Super Circuit as a sparkling green "S" (although the instruction booklet uses the design from 64). In Super Mario Kart the Special Cup lacks a unique emblem entirely, and instead features a Super Mushroom, a Fire Flower, and a Super Star, combining the emblems of the Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, and Star Cup respectively.
Mario winning the Champions Cup in Mario Tennis Open
Winning an online tournament in Mario Tennis Aces
The Special Cup reappears in Mario Tennis Open. In this game, it is called the Champions Cup. It is the fourth cup in the game, and the last cup in the World Open tournament series. It is unlocked after the Banana Cup is completed. When the player completes the Champions Cup, their character earns a star rank, which boosts their stats and grants them access to the Star Open tournament series. The Champions Cup takes place in Mario Stadium, with the hard, clay, and grass courts being used for the starting, semifinal, and final rounds respectively. Matches for this cup have one set for the starting round, three sets for the semifinals, and five sets for the finals.
In Mario Tennis Aces, the trophy in online tournaments is based on the Special Cup's trophy.
Winning the Special Cup in the Mario Kart series can award the player with various bonuses, depending on the game. Additional cups unlocked are excluded from this list.
In addition, the Gold Standard body can be unlocked by getting a 1 star rank or higher on all non-DLC cups (including the Special Cup) on any one engine class, and the 150cc Mirror class can be unlocked by winning all 150cc cups.
Mario Kart 64 website: "As you'd expect, the Special Cup contains the most challenging courses in Mario Kart 64."
Mario Kart Wii trading card: "Two Special Cup tracks, Bowser's Castle and Rainbow Road, have been Special Cup stalwarts. This time around the names may be the same, but the layouts are new & improved—and they're no cakewalk. In fact, these could be some of the most difficult tracks in Mario Kart Wii."
In the Time Trial and VS modes of Super Mario Kart, the player can access the Special Cup before unlocking it by pressing buttons in this sequence: .
In the Chinese versions of Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart: Super Circuit, the Special Cup is called the "iQue Cup", named after the China-exclusive iQue Player home console.
If Grand Prix mode in Mario Kart Wii is highlighted on the menu, the Special Cup trophy from that game can be seen in the background.
* - Indicates downloadable content in Mario Kart 8 • ** - Indicates content available in version 1.6.0 of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe • *** - Indicates content available in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass • - Indicates exclusivity to Mario Kart 8 • - Indicates exclusivity to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe